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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are us passports more security sensitive than ours???

54 replies

wtfisgoingonhere · 15/09/2015 00:43

Ok bear with me

I'm organising my sister's hen do and it's abroad (she wanted it to be, I know hens are hotly debated on MN)

I have gotspecial rates for groups etc. Collected all monies and now just need to confirm passenger details on airline website

Now I know not everyone travels regularly so asked for a picture of people's passport into when I booked flights in march

Had all info except one girl. My sister's best friend from America.

She seemed to be dragging her heels giving me info in dribs and drabs anyway, such as just dob when I said need full info, plus I don't know her middle names/how they're spelt.

Tonight when I chase her (data HAS TO BE added by tomorrow or they COULD cancel our seats, not that I think they will but don't want to risk it) as I have to enter all passenger info in one go, she says she's sent me all the detail and doesn't want to send picture of the page

I said if it's the pic she's worried about she can hide it, but I want to be 100% all the details are correct and I won't show anyone, and she said she doesn't 'want it out there' then proceeded to tell ME to stop being difficult

Aibu?
Or are us passports special or something? (Or she's just a pain I'm the arse? !)

OP posts:
Owlycat · 15/09/2015 01:07

Ask her one more time for the required info and explain why you need it, and if she still won't provide it then let them cancel her ticket.

M0rven · 15/09/2015 01:09

Will they cancel all your tickets or just hers?

AbbyCadabra · 15/09/2015 01:10

But if she has sent you all her details why do you need to see the page?

If her passport photo is half as bad as mine she may not want anyone to see it, and you don't need to anyway.

howtorebuild · 15/09/2015 01:13

She doesn't want you to know her age.

mumeeee · 15/09/2015 01:23

Do you know you are actually not.allowed to copy your passport.yourself.
My daughter needed some information off of the information page on her passport. I could email her the information but not a.copy of the page.

Prole · 15/09/2015 02:34

Mumeeee - My passport has been photocopied several time by employers to satisfy their legal requirement to establish my legal status to work. I've also provided copies I've made for the same reason. Is this allowed?

Aren't passport photos a source of shared hilarity? What's to hide?

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 15/09/2015 02:54

Jesus H Christ she is being a PAIN.

Of course you can photocopy passports. Ridiculous to suggest otherwise. The thing about it being illegal is a TOTAL myth. A simple google will tell you this. (Incidentally the only thing it is illegal to photocopy in the US is money e.g. bank notes).

If she doesn't want to send it by email (which I can kind of 0.000001% understand) could she take a photo of it and text it to you? Obv with all the gazillion assurances that you have already given her that you would delete the image as soon as you are done with it. Texts or MMS's are way more secure than email and not subject to hacking in the same way email is.

So many Americans are fucking paranoid about "national security" nowadays and that extends to their personal passport details. Can't say I blame them really, given the anniversary that just passed of Sept 11.

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/09/2015 03:31

I wouldn't give anyone a photocopy of my passport either. Why would I? If she doesn't want to give you a scan of it just warn her that if the information is incorrect, it's on her and she may not get to travel.

sykadelic · 15/09/2015 03:32

Yes YABU. It's not up to you to decide what she should or shouldn't feel comfortable about. She's not comfortable with it and that's okay.

So, suggestions to get around it:

  • screen shot the entry page online to show her exactly what info is needed
  • agree that if the information she gave is wrong then she pays to change it
  • give her the password to the airline site (change it to a temp one if you need to) so she can enter the info herself
  • tell your sister she's uncomfortable giving you the information needed and ask her to get the info for you
  • don't do hers and just leave her off and leave it for her to sort out herself
Tootsiepops · 15/09/2015 05:09

YABU.

I wouldn't photocopy my passport details and send via email any more than I would my bank details.

sky has covered off the workarounds.

scuzzle · 15/09/2015 05:15

mumee what a load of rubbish. So you didn't copy it? What did you think would happen, the police would hot foot it straight to your door?!

scuzzle · 15/09/2015 05:17

???? the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) advises passport holders to only agree to the reproduction of the personal details page in the passport if they are satisfied that the person or organisation they are giving this to will protect it from unauthorised disclosure.?? It continues, ??The Identity and Passport Service advises organisations who wish to retain a reproduction of the personal details in the passport that they should obtain the consent of the individual to do so."

See more at: www.icaew.com/en/members/practice-resources/icaew-practice-support-services/practicewire/news/photocopying-passports-revised-guidance#sthash.q4JK6nXw.dpuf

Mistigri · 15/09/2015 06:08

YABVU - I don't understand why you can't just tell her what information you need and have her tell you the details over the phone or by email?

From memory, for an EU flight, you have to supply full name as written on the passport, passport number, issuing country, DOB, and date of passport expiry.

She may be embarrassed about the photo or just worried about emailing identity documents - it's not really anyone's business but hers.

SavoyCabbage · 15/09/2015 06:25

I wouldn't give you a copy of my passport either. Why do you need it 'because they don't travel regularly'? ????Maybe she's come across some sort of fraud/identity theft at some point in her life and it's made her more aware. ????Before I emigrated my passport was of no importance to me, now it's a huge deal.

definiteissues · 15/09/2015 06:28

Yabu.
She has said she is uncomfortable, she has provided you the info you need, stop pushing.

Shutthatdoor · 15/09/2015 06:39

She has given you the info there is no reason why you need anything else.

Sorry but YABU

AuntieStella · 15/09/2015 06:48

YABU.

She does need to supply her details.

But can you demonstrate a fully secure system for holding them? You're essentially asking for full details from which an identity can be cloned.

She can hold her identity information in any form she wishes, and if that means only the essential parts are put into cyberspace on professionally maintained secure systems only, that's totally OK.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 15/09/2015 07:06

scuzzle I find it amusing that you are quoting the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales as the authority on passport security Grin

Or have they changed it from UK Border Patrol to UK Border and Audit Patrol Tax Advisers Grin

Not to say that what you posted doesn't sound like sound advice.

WipsGlitter · 15/09/2015 07:11

Just list our all the information you need, tell her you need it today or she will run the risk of not being able to travel.

What's needed - full name, DOB, passport number? Address?

RedMapleLeaf · 15/09/2015 07:12

Why do you need a photo of her passport?

honeysucklejasmine · 15/09/2015 07:12

Whoa. I think YANBU. You say that she is being difficult about giving you the correct information. I assume this means it would be 100% easier to see the damn thing and enter it yourself. I think you need to tell her...

  1. to fell you everything you need to know, now.
  2. give you a copy
  3. log on herself and do it
  4. admit responsibility for her cancelled flights if she doesn't do any of above.
wigglesrock · 15/09/2015 07:13

I may have missed it, but I'm still a bit confused as to why you need a copy of her passport in the first place. I organised a holiday inc flights for 11 of us during the summer. There was a mixture of passport nationalities, some passports were new/ never used. People just text or emailed me their details.

mummytime · 15/09/2015 07:22

She doesn't have to send you a photocopy of the page. Just make sure she sends you exactly what info you need. If any of it is wrong then that is her problem at the airport (I nearly had to fly home from holiday without DH this summer as his ticket didn't match his name - the airlines fault).

But its normal to have photocopies of the page, it is a useful thing to have in your own mail box, incase your passport is stolen. And its not very useful for a fraudster as a real passport has a chip in it, which stores real data etc.

00100001 · 15/09/2015 07:22

if she;s given you all the relevant information YABU

If she hasn't and won't give it to you, then it's her problem when she doesn't have a ticket.

eurochick · 15/09/2015 07:28

There are notices on our copiers at work say that copying of passports, money and certain other things is not permitted. That said, most of our secretaries have a copy of ours for booking work travel!

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